[Reader-list] Across the LoC

[anupam chakravartty]

http://beta.epw.in/newsItem/comment/188938/

"There are visible contradictions between the Pakistani and PAJK
constitutions. For instance, article 257 of the Pakistani constitution holds
that the “people of Jammu and Kashmir will define their relationship with
Pakistan after obtaining freedom”.

Under section 5 (2) (vii) of the PAJK Legislative Assembly Election
Ordinance, 1970, “a person will be disqualified for propagating any opinion
or action in any manner prejudicial to the ideology of Pakistan, the
ideology of state’s accession to Pakistan or the sovereignty and integrity
of Pakistan”. On the contrary, part 2 of section 7 of the 1974 PAJK
constitution says that “no person or political party in Azad Jammu and
Kashmir shall be permitted to propagate against or take part in activities
prejudicial or detrimental to the ideology of the state’s accession to
Pakistan”. Thus without signing an affidavit of allegiance to Jammu and
Kashmir’s accession to Pakistan, nobody is allowed to take part in the PAJK
legislative assembly elections. The Amanullah Khan-led Jammu and Kashmir
Liberation Front and the All Parties Nationalist Alliance (APNA) espousing
an independent state for Jammu and Kashmir have not been allowed to
participate in several elections because they refused to sign the
affidavit."